


Perfectly Out Of Place

by spooky_motherducker13



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Slow Burn, Strangers to enemies, Updating tags as I go, like a sloth, or a slug?, or a snail, so slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:47:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22521982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spooky_motherducker13/pseuds/spooky_motherducker13
Summary: Loki has mastered the art of escaping death. Once again, he's wormed his way out of trouble by simply "dying". In a fit of spontaneity, he decides to head back to where it all started: New York City. It's never that easy, though, and he soon finds out that there are others spread throughout the galaxy that want him dead. Keeping a low profile has never been appealing but once he stumbles upon a timid librarian he finds that perhaps she's the perfect cover. After all, better someone else's blood to be spilled than his own, right?*Shamelessly stole this plot from myself from a long abandoned 2 chapter fic posted on ff.net and decided to give it a makeover on this beautiful site all because of one six second video of the new Loki series and because I miss writing and want to drown in other fanfic writer/reader friends. All aboard the pain train!!!!*
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 45





	1. Honey, You've Got A Big Storm Coming

**Author's Note:**

> Hello MTV and welcome to my crib!   
> Like I mentioned, this is a plot that I had bouncing around my brain for a few years and, after growing a impressively massive pair of balls, I finally posted two chapters of it on ff.net. Life and other shitty excuses saw me abandoning it before it could ever even grow and now I'm replanting it here (how do we feel about the garden theme I've got going here?). It loosely follows a timeline in which our boy survives that giant purple assclown Thanos and decides to galavant on his own for a while.   
> ANYWAY! So I'm super excited about this story and I have no intentions of ever forgetting it again so I'll be chugging away at this beast for the foreseeable future. This first chapter is painfully short but setting up stories is always a bit of a teaser for me so please forgive the word count. Ok, going to stop typing now before my notes section is longer than the actual chapter. OK BYE!!

She’d been staring at the row of books in front of her for too long. It was supposed to be here. Between Brian and Byron. This is where the book should be.   
“I’m sorry,” she repeated, “your book should be right here.”   
“It’s really ok. I can just come back for it.”   
She ignored her companion and squinted her eyes, hoping if she angled her head right the book would suddenly appear like a silent magic trick.   
“No, no. Let me check the computer again. Maybe it’s shelved in Romance.”   
There was a questionable pop as her back straightened and she finally tore her eyes away to face the middle-aged lady who’d asked for help locating a book. “Hello?” She called, turning to find that she was suddenly alone.   
  
“Another runner?”   
Emily collapsed into her chair with a sigh, barely glancing at her co-worker. “How’d you guess?”   
“Don’t take it personally,” Maggie said, placing a motherly hand on her shoulder.   
“I’m up to two this week. _Two_ , Maggie. How many people have run out on you?”   
Maggie turned away, having the decency to look guilty. “Well, I’ve been here twenty years, you know. I’m sure I’ve had a few.”   
Rolling her eyes, Emily swallowed her shame and began to scan her screen again. The book was listed as available and housed in the exact same group of books where she’d led the customer. Shaking her head, she quickly jumped up and made her way back to the shelves. It was a personal vendetta now.   
When she’d taken this job a month ago, she’d been thrilled. The prospect of spending her days amongst some of her closest paperback friends with limited human interaction was nothing short of a dream. It only took a week for the glamour to be stripped away like the petals of a flower in a storm. What was once a dream was now a snot-covered, tear-inducing nightmare. Children ran unattended from morning until night. Their parents took it as a personal offense when their requested books weren’t available. Shelving books had become a never-ending game of hide and seek when visitors decided to discard them on the opposite side of the library-under chairs, in the bathroom, on the goddamn sidewalk.   
She felt herself rapidly aging as she bent down and reached to the highest shelves day in and day out. Her once steely patience was now nothing more than a flimsy loose thread on a sweater, threatening to unravel at the slightest tug. Having a visitor simply disappear as she tried to aid them in a search of a book was becoming normal but something about this particular ask-and-dash had left a sour taste in her mouth. Maybe it was the snot that was crusting on the hem of her shirt from the child who’d unabashedly sneezed all over her this morning. Perhaps it was the crack in the sidewalk outside that had ensured her heel three times this week. Regardless, she had reached a new height of annoyance and she would find this book come hell or high water.   
As she passed a row of seats, no doubt mumbling to herself in frustration as she internally catalogued her frustrations for the day, her attention was abruptly captured by a dapper stranger.   
It wasn’t odd to find people strewn about the library at all hours. Some were reading, some were on the computers, some were just existing in a shared space with other humans. Something about this man, though, held Emily’s attention. Maybe it was his all black suit or the way his fair skin seemed to glow underneath the fluorescent lights. Or maybe it was the book casually propped up in his hands. Her book.   
“You,” she breathed, her feet beginning to carry her closer towards him. He seemed to notice her for the first time as she swooped in and put herself in his space. Piercing green eyes peeked over the book that was held in his porcelain hands. Her book, she reminded herself.   
“I beg your pardon?” He asked, his voice like fine silk as he looked back her.   
“You have my book.”   
He raised a single brow as he looked down at the book and then back at her. “Your book?” He repeated.   
“Yes. I’ve been looking for that book and you have it.”   
“Is it a crime to read a book in the library?”   
She opened her mouth and then quickly closed it, only now seeming to realize that she was edging closer and closer to him like a thief about to snatch their loot. “No,” she answered, “of course not.”   
“Then is there something else I can help you with?”   
The air had become thick and she quickly diverted her gaze to her scuffed up shoes, unsure how to explain herself. This place was going to drive her crazy. Now she was accosting visitors for reading. In a public library. “No, carry on.”   
She felt his eyes on her as she darted behind another shelf, looking to put as much space between them as possible. She’d managed to embarrass herself twice within the span of a ten minute window and was now only looking for a safe space to lick her wounds. What was she planning to do? Yank the book out of his hands and hold it above her head like a trophy? Was she really beginning to crack up after only a month of public service?   
She glanced at her watch and audibly groaned as she realized she still had another two hours until her shift was over. She had a mountain of cataloging to do that was sure to divert her mind from the torrent of self-pity that was beginning to trickle in but she could still feel eyes on her that left her feeling trapped. Spinning on her heel, she found that she was quite alone in between the stack of books she’d chosen to rush behind. Deciding she really was beginning to lose it, she decided to quickly tidy up the shelf, hoping the monotony of this small task would steady her paranoia and pass the time before she could leave this place behind for at least another day.

* * *

  
  
He wasn’t quite done with her. Like a cat spotting a mouse, he was utterly delighted in the prospect of the hunt. It never failed to please him to know he could read people so well. His encounter with Emily Collins had been nothing short of a carefully crafted scheme and now that he had her in his sights he found that it was positively wicked how amusing it was watching the color bloom across her face like a morning flower. Such a sheepish, dull creature. How fun it was going to be be to tug on each and every one of her nerves and insecurities and watch her come undone.   
He promised himself he’d know when the right one fell into his lap. It seems Miss Collins, however, had been dangled above his head, teasing him and thrilling him all the while being so easily captured. Yes, she was the one. He knew when to pull back from his prey though and with a muffled snap, he closed the book in his hands and made his way to the place he’d watched her fruitlessly search for fifteen minutes. With a final glance over his shoulder, he saw through the stacks she was hiding behind and sent her a silent promise that he'd return before making his way back out into the New York evening.   
Yes, this would be fun indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily realizes that she has bigger things to worry about other than finding a book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so so so so so so much to everyone who popped by to read the first chapter. I am floating high on knowing that anyone is interested enough to stop by so thank you!!!!  
> I realized the first chapter was way too short so I wanted to get the second one up as soon as possible. I spent far too long editing this and trying to make it into something I liked but I have to get it up and away from my picky fingers before I lose my mind. Starting new stories, am I right?  
> Also-can we talk about that Super Bowl commercial? Loki in short sleeves talking about burning things to the ground? Burn me to the ground space daddy!!!! I fell asleep hearing those words so I'm sure I'll be super chill when the series actually drops.

Today was going to be a good day. Whether or not that statement proved true, Emily vowed to believe in it. She repeated it like a mantra as she shook the rain from her umbrella and clocked in for her shift.A wayward child ran into her, stepping painfully on her toes before blinking up at her and taking off back in the direction he came from. No matter, she thought, it’s still going to be a good day. A great day, in fact.

She took her seat next to Maggie and shot her a manufactured smile before checking her email. 272 were bolded as unread, waiting impatiently for her response. Only an extra 75 from yesterday. Could be worse, she thought, her conviction that the day was still young clung to her lips like a prayer, no longer an indisputable statement but now simply wishful thinking.

It was around noon when her resolve started to falter.

“I placed this book on reserve over two weeks ago.”

Emily looked up from list of names in line for the book in question.“I understand that,” she began, “but there are several other names ahead of you. You should have gotten an alert when you placed a request that there were other active holds.”

The older man slammed his hand on the counter, startling her but not quite shattering the remains of her professionalism. “So you mean to tell me I’m supposed to wait around for all these schmucks to read this book? How long is that going to take?”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead returned her gaze to the screen.“It looks like there are twelve people ahead of you. Each rental is two weeks so you’re looking at around,” she paused as she did the mental math, “five months.”Try as she might she couldn’t stop herself from wincing as she delivered the news.

“ _Five months_?” He repeated, his eyes so wide she was certain his eyeballs would simply fall out and onto the counter.She could practically hear the sickening twin plops as they left their host and rolled onto her keyboard.“Five fucking months? For a book?”

She felt Maggie stiffen at the profanity. “I’m sorry, sir. You can try other libraries or visit Barnes and Noble as I’m sure the book is available for purchase.”

For a moment she thought he would leap across the counter and throttle her for suggesting such a thing. Look for an alternative solution? How dare she suggest something so rational?

Instead, he simply sneered down at her and turned away, muttering things that would make her blush if she cared enough to keep her attention on him.

“Some people,” Maggie huffed, shaking her head in disgust. “What book did he want anyway?”

Emily scrolled back up to the top of the screen and stifled a laugh long enough to answer. “ _Managing_ _Anger_ ,” she wheezed, turning to watch as Maggie joined in her amusement.

Even this momentary slip in optimism was quickly remedied by the absurdity of the situation and the mirth that was salvaged in the irony of discovering the book in question. Although the universe seemed hell-bent on ruining her day, Emily refused to fold. It was a good day, she chanted again, turning her attention to the mountain of emails that she’d avoided all morning.

* * *

“So the leak was finally fixed this morning,” Maggie said, interrupting the tranquility that had settled over them as they’d attended to their respective roles.

“Yeah? It’s about time. I bet it would have ripped a hole in the ceiling if they’d let it go any longer.”

“Oh, I’m sure. We’re lucky it was just a few drops. Can you imagine the damage if it’d been a bonafide leak?You know we had an upstairs neighbor that would run their bath until it was kissing the rim of the tub…”

Emily tuned her out, her voice becoming a low hum as she refocused on signing off on the email she’d been typing away at. She was down to 173 and she could practically feel the weight lifting from her shoulders with each click of the ‘send’ button. In fact, the tension had been slowly leaving her body all day. The children that had ran around like untamed animals had all settled into corners with books or sprawled on the floor to take a nap. No visitors had approached the desk in over an hour. It was quiet, as all libraries should be. She took a moment to soak in the serenity. This had been what she’d imagined when she signed on for the job.Just books and the gentle hush that blanketed those who read them.

But something was itching at the back of her mind, like a child tugging on her shirt to get her attention. A sudden and intrusive thought was begging her to go check on that book.

That fucking book, she inwardly cursed. She’d closed the saga on it yesterday when she’d practically assaulted a visitor for reading it and yet something kept bringing her back to it. She waited for Maggie to finish the story of the leak she’d had in her apartment which had somehow transitioned into a running commentary on the state of Brooklyn ever since the attack on New York a few years ago and-

She froze. Images of fires in the street and debris raining down from the sky flooded her memory.The screams of the dying replaced Maggie’s droning voice and the sound of buildings bending and breaking were so loud that she found herself looking up to make sure the ceiling was still in tact. The recall of this memory had shattered the peace she’d discovered in the false security of the silence. Now the stillness was too loud. Something was wrong. Her realization knocked the wind out of her.

That stranger yesterday hadn’t been a stranger.

Without another word, she jumped from her chair and almost ran to the shelves that seemed so small and insignificant now. The book was there in it’s rightful spot but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The air was charged like a summer night right before a thunderstorm and she could practically taste the rain.

And now she could feel it. A steady, trickling rain.

Looking up, she saw another small leak beginning to form. The slow crumbling of the ceiling as the damage began to manifest itself was almost mesmerizing. Her eyes were locked on the spot where the water was gathering until, without warning, the plaster ripped open, leaving a gaping hole where the water rushed out and onto her. She managed a pathetic yelp before her mind caught up to what was happening and forced her body to scramble out from under the damage.She was vaguely aware of screams of surprise and delighted squeals from children that were now flocking to the source of the excitement.

“Maintenance is on their way!” Maggie called from somewhere behind her.

Emily wiped the water from her eyes and stared helplessly as the books began to fall out of the shelves and onto the floor as the water continued to beat down on them. Her heart sunk even further as she spotted a playful pair of eyes amongst the growing crowd. She knew his identity now, she was certain of it. His face had been plastered on every TV screen across the world. 

The news reports on the attack in New York City suddenly echoed in her ears. Supercuts of the damage and blurry clips of superheros soaring through the streets temporarily filled her vision. Her mind was like a radio rapidly scanning through each station, words and phrases all shooting past her until only one name was could be heard. Loki.

She went to turn to Maggie. She needed someone else to know that they were in danger. She took a step in her direction but stopped as he shook his head no. She was paralyzed. The fear of him slipping out of her sight to cause more trouble was the only thing keeping her eyes locked on him. She vaguely heard Maggie talking with the maintenance crew that had arrived but the leak was now the least of her problems.

Without rhyme or reason, she began to walk towards him. Her entire body was screaming out in protest. A type of self-preservation, she assumed.Still, she felt as if she were almost floating closer and closer to him while he simply watched. He made no attempt to move. No rush to join the collection of onlookers as the water rained down around them. He just watched, still as a statue except for the glint in his eyes, shimmering like the surface of a lake under the moonlight.

Her own eyes were beginning to burn but she refused to blink. She wouldn’t let him disappear.

She was fifteen feet away.

Now ten.

So close.

She hadn’t planned what she would do once she reached him but she thought of nothing except keeping him in her sights. All she had to do was get to him. 

Her shoe collided with the edge of a bookshelf and, on instinct, she glanced down, realizing her mistake too late.She jerked her gaze back to where he was.

Gone.

She kicked out in frustration without thinking, wincing as her foot came back into contact with the immovable shelf.

“I didn’t peg you for a violent woman.”

She whirled around and recoiled as she came face-to-face with her target. Standing so close, she was now concrete in her assessment of his identity. There was no replicating the chaos that danced in his eyes.No imposter could capture his mischievous grin.His name burned bright in her mind again, blinking furiously as if she’d won a twisted prize at the arcade.

_Winner, winner, winner._

_Loki, Loki, Loki._

“I know who you are,” she said, her voice weak and childish. 

He laughed and she knew that if he’d been anyone else she would have swooned at the way it seemed to bounce off of every surface and fill the room.

“Yes, you’ve put it all together, haven’t you?”

She felt herself wilting under his gaze, her bravado slipping away like a dream upon waking.This was a game to him, a joke that she wasn’t in on. She unconsciously began to take a step back. 

“You see, Emily Collins,” he continued, matching her steps and closing in on her like a predator, “I’ve taken quite a liking to you. You’ve no family, no friends, no prospects.” She opened her mouth to argue before realizing she had nothing to say. His eyes only grew brighter as he took in her hurt. “Oh. I’ve hit a sore spot, haven’t I?”

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt her back collide with the wall. Trapped.

Desperation began to take hold as she realized her predicament. She could hear voices far off, undoubtedly preoccupied with the leak and unaware that she was being held hostage by the same psychopath that had brought death and destruction to their doorstep only a few years ago.“What do you want?”

He slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her face, caging her in. She flinched and he laughed, the sound now haunting and joyless. “Don’t worry, pet, I wouldn’t dream of touching you. Not until you’ve exhausted your worth.”He paused, a cloud of malice passing over his face before his playful smile reappeared.She couldn’t decide which expression was more troubling. “Do you know what I want most, Emily? What I want right now? I want you swallow whatever plan you’re hatching behind that thick skull of yours.You’re not going to tell Maggie who I am unless you want to standby and watch while I rip her windpipe out.”

She blanched but nodded.“I won’t tell anyone.”

“You see, Emily, you and I are quite similar. Lying comes naturally to us, doesn’t it? Unfortunately for you, I’m a bit more skilled in my deception and I know the minute you reunite with your feeble friend you’ll think of some clever way to tell her who I am. Once she knows she’ll go home and tell her equally dim-witted husband who’ll tell his boss and before you know it the entire city knows I’m here. I can’t imagine you’d be comfortable knowing you were responsible for the death of so many innocents. Am I right, Emily?”

Again, she nodded, her vision beginning to blur with unshed tears.

“Answer me,” he commanded.

“You’re right.”

“So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go home. You’ve had a rough day, your clothes are soaked and you’ll not be questioned for requesting such an early dismissal.”His voice was almost kind as he leaned closer, his breath now warm on her skin. “Once you’re home, you will open your door to me when I arrive and you will provide for me as you would any guest. You’ll not return to your job and you will remain with me until such time as I decide your services are no longer necessary. Am I clear?”

She hated herself in this moment. In her mind she was a warrior, someone who never backed down from righting the wrongs that were thrown at her. But now, faced with her biggest test of will, she simply nodded along like a halfwit and did exactly as she was told. She was weak and scared and not at all the person she wanted to be. Later, she’d look back at this moment and foster a hatred for herself that would fester and grow like a virus, infecting everything that she once admired about herself.

When she played back this memory while chasing after sleep, she’d imagine herself fighting back. She'd see herself raising her knee to his groin and spitting down at him as he doubled over in pain and anguish. She would push off from this stupid wall and make it to the phones. She’d call 911 and she’d be a hero. A warrior.

But these were the dreams of a someone who was too spineless to react when it mattered most. Someone too nervous to do anything but nod and nod and nod until she resembled the cracked and worn bobbleheads she used to own as child.She didn’t know what he wanted with her or why he was here but she knew that she’d do as he demanded.

For now, a small voice in the depths of her mind interrupted. For now.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful people!! Thank you again to anyone and everyone that's stopped by!! You're all fantastic!  
> I took a week off to celebrate my birthday (which, incidentally, is the same day as our boy TOM'S!). I anticipate posting AT LEAST once a week, sometimes more depending on how kind my brain is to me. The feedback I've received in the form of kind words and bookmarks and kudos and all that jazz has simply warmed my cold, dead heart and I thank you once again!!   
> We are moving out of boring, setting-up territory so I foresee a lot more assclown Loki in the coming chapters!   
> *Please forgive any typos/hot messes, sometimes I edit too much that I miss obvious things and then I just hit publish to save my eyeballs from burning any longer. Terrible excuse but that's the tea, sis.*

“Hey, I’m going to take the rest of the day.”

Maggie held up a finger as she finished directing a man in a monochrome suit where to place his ladder.“What’s that dear?”

Emily tried to reign in her temper. She desperately wanted to grab onto the lapels of the older woman’s sweater and scream that they were all in danger.

_There’s a lunatic in here and he’s going to kill us! How can you possibly care about a dumb fucking leak?_

But she could feel his eyes on her, watching and measuring each action she did. She felt as if she had a bomb strapped to her chest, waiting for one wrong move to rip a hole in her chest and send pieces of her organs throughout the children’s section.The best thing to keep everyone safe was to comply. And so she simply took a breath and directed her frustration to her clothes that were now dripping steadily onto the carpet.

“I said I’m going to head out early if that’s ok,” she repeated, “I’ll do no good soaking wet.”

“Of course.It’s been a rough week. Take the weekend and do something nice for yourself. You know Harry got me a card to that new massage parlor that opened off-”

“That’s a great idea,” Emily interrupted, knowing time was precious.“I might visit the spa or something.”She was surprised how easily this lie flew from her lips.She’d soon be sharing her dingy apartment with a mass murderer and Maggie was suggesting manicures and massages.

The irony of it was almost painful.

She was spared from any further small talk by the sound of more plaster as it crashed onto the floor.Maggie scurried off to keep the crowd at bay while maintenance called for backup. Looking over her shoulder, Emily was surprised to find that Loki had gone. Somehow, his absence was worse. Not having eyes on him was a fatal mistake and yet she knew that he wanted something from her. She wasn’t sure what yet but he’d expressed an interest in her that would surely buy her some time. 

Grabbing her bag, she quickly slipped out the back door and into the bustling streets, suddenly feeling more comfortable now that she wasn’t so exposed. Amongst the sea of people she could still feel his gaze on her like a coat in the summer. Warm, uncomfortable, unnatural.

The walk to her apartment seemed to take half the time and she practically fell through the doorway in her haste to get inside. She quickly spun and turned each and every lock. She almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Trying to keep him out was like trying to close out a tornado.You could lock the doors and close the windows but when it was over there would be nothing left. The thought chilled her and she quickly took a few steps back, her eyes never leaving the door.

She waited until the sun had gone down, never once abandoning her post. Her stomach growled like clockwork every few minutes but she refused to leave. The arrival of her neighbors jolted her out of her seat and she grabbed for the nearest weapon which ended up being the table side lamp. Bathed in darkness, she darted to the wall to flip on the overhead lights and rapidly scanned the room, expecting him to be lurking in a corner and waiting to pounce.

This was insane. Her fear and panic were slowly ebbing away into to anger and frustration. Part of her somehow knew this was what he wanted. Drowning in suspense, building up the dread in her head, he thrived off of it. She’d seen enough of him on the news to know that this was someone who came alive in the midst of chaos and confusion. He wouldn’t show. Not tonight. That would be too easy, too predictable.

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t alone.Running would do nothing except end her life sooner than necessary. Hiding would be useless, almost laughable. Her best bet was to stick with the plan and give him control while she figured out her next steps. Surely there was a hotline number for the Avengers or something, right? They handled him the last time he came to Earth, surely they can do it again. She just had to contact them first.

She fell asleep sitting up and facing the door. Every creak and bang stirred her awake and when she was asleep she could only see a pair of green eyes that were alight with the worst intentions.

* * *

Morning came and went with no sign of Loki. Saturday was largely uneventful. Every time she found herself starting to relax she had to nudge her conscious to stay alert. Just because the hunter wasn’t visible didn’t make her any less the prey.

By Sunday afternoon she started to second guess her decision to remain complacent. What if she’d just dialed 911 on her way home? She could have texted someone or knocked on her neighbors door. It would have been easy. This whole thing could be put to rest and her safety and autocracy would have been returned to her.Instead she’d camped in her living room all weekend, watching a door like a paranoid sentinel. 

She glanced at the lamp in her hand and wanted to cry. She’d been an idiot. A fool. Once again she’d remained sedentary when she should have been acting. Was he out there right now? Slipping and sliding in and out of the shadows like a homicidal ghost?Wrecking havoc and wetting his hands with blood while she sat here and simply let him?

“Fuck this,” she said to herself as she grabbed her phone off the table. She’d dialed 911 and hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over the call button.Waiting was dumb, she decided, as she went to connect the call.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

She screamed as the phone fell to the floor with a thud.Whirling around, she tried to locate the source of the voice but came up empty, staring helplessly into dark corners instead.

“I thought we had an agreement,” the voice continued, “and I thought we knew the consequences of breaking that agreement.”

“Where are you?” She asked, blindly reaching for her lamp again as a weapon.

Her only response was a cold and sinister laugh that seemed to echo all around the walls of her apartment. As if he were everywhere all at once.

“I’m quite disappointed,” he said, finally emerging from the shadows. She briefly took in his appearance and noted that his all black suit had been replaced by green and gold armor. There was no time dissect this wardrobe change but she noted it all the same.“I thought you were special.”

She wanted to smack the mock indignation off his face but knew that if she even hinted at an offensive attack he’d be on her.

“What do you want?”

He rolled his eyes as he moved further into the room, slowly closing the distance between them.“We’ve been over this, pet. I want you to stop asking questions and start holding up your end of the bargain.”

“And what bargain is that?”

“The one where I don’t kill you and everyone you love in exchange for your silence and cooperation.Now you’ve succeeded in the first half by inviting me into your, “ he paused, looking around at the peeling wallpaper and empty pizza boxes in the kitchen, “humble home.Keeping quiet, however, seems to be a weakness for you. Am I right?”

She shook her head and took a step back, quickly becoming aware of how close he’d gotten.

“Answer me,” he snarled, smiling as she flinched.

“No. It’s not. I’ll keep quiet.”

“You and I have very different ideas about what keeping quiet means.Calling the authorities doesn’t strike me as fulfilling your promise. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to alert the city to my whereabouts.That’s not what you were doing, was it, Emily?”

Again, she shook her head but quickly answered aloud when she saw his eyes light up with irritation.

“No.”

He glanced at the couch as if he thought about sitting but quickly thought better of it and remained standing.“I’m a merciful God,” he began, crossing his arms as if he were a father lecturing his wayward child, “and so I don’t want to punish you too severely because of one mistake. That would be cruel, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Yes,” he repeated. “So here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to hand me every single electronic in this house that has the capability of reaching outside communication.After that, you will sit and wait for me while I run out and finish what I need to finish. When I return, perhaps we can talk further about my expectations moving forward. Are we clear?”

She grimaced as she felt a cold bead of sweat drip from her neck and down her back.“Yes.”

He clapped his hands together, the sound startling her as she flinched again.“Excellent. Now, run along and gather up all your little devices.”

She pushed back from the wall and began to head towards her room when his hand shot out and closed around her wrist. 

“And Emily, darling, don’t try to be the hero. If I find you’ve hidden anything or attempted to fool me I will kill you where you stand. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

He released her and she took off towards her room, rubbing furiously at the spot where his icy fingers had held her. 

After a few moments, she’d gathered her laptop, phone, and tablet and scanned her room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. A small part of her was screaming to do something, anything.

_Don’t roll over and let him dominate you like a stray dog, fight back!_

_“_ I can’t,” she said aloud, hating the sound of her own voice. She was weak and stupid and she would die in this apartment with no one to blame but herself. The self-hatred came in the form of bile that she quickly swallowed down as she closed the door behind her and made her way back to the living room. 

He had moved to the window, curiously peeking out at the pedestrians below and she was reminded of a young child with an ant farm.Most kids cherished their plastic homes filled with insects. They’d watch as the ants went to and fro, marveling in their little lives and the way they went about each day. Not Loki, though. He saw the humans below, the ants, as worthless. Insignificant. A burden. He saw them as things to own and humiliate and control until he could step on them and snuff their lives out without so much as a whimper.

“Leave them on the table,” he directed, not yet tearing his eyes from the streets.

She tried in vain to steady her shaking hands.He glanced over at her and tutted.

“So nervous,” he began, “so afraid. I haven’t hurt you yet, have I?”

“No.”

“Then why are you shaking like a beaten pup?”

She resisted the urge to scream at him.

_Because I’m being held captive by a fucking murderous psychopathic God? Because I’m a stupid girl who can’t even try and fight for herself? Because you said the word ‘yet’ which implies that you’ll hurt me eventually? Because I’m just fucking scared?_

“I don’t know.”

He knitted his brows, not believing her but not caring enough to press any further. 

She watched as he glanced once more down at the city before finally moving to the pile of electronics resting on her beat-up coffee table.With the flick of his wrist, the devices simply vanished.

“Where did they go?” She asked, her shock outweighing her fear and forcing thoughts aloud.

He chuckled and made his way to the door.“Somewhere you don’t need to worry about. If you’re a good girl, perhaps you’ll get them back at the end of our time together.”

This gave her some kind of hope.The sinking feeling in her gut was lifted slightly at the possibility of surviving this encounter. Although the logical side of her was doubtful, she would take anything she could get at this point.

“I’ll be out for awhile. Do us both a favor and clean up the place a bit.Make use of the shower, too. I refuse to spend my time staring at a drowned gutter rat.”

His words had a surprising bite to them and she winced as they cut her down. His opinion of her should mean nothing but she found that she kept replaying his insult even after he’d slammed the door and left her alone once again.

She stared around at the apartment, looking for anything that could help her. She tried to run her hands over the spot where her laptop had been, hoping to reverse whatever bullshit spell he’d performed but came up empty. In a brief spark of revolution, she let her feet carry her to the door with the intention to run to the neighbors. The knob wouldn’t even turn. Spinning on her heel, she went over to the windows and heaved each and every one with all her might only to come to the same conclusion. He’d barricaded her in here.

There was no escaping, not yet.

As she passed the dusty mirror in her room, she paused and stared back at her reflection. She growled and snarled and screamed at herself, hoping to rouse the fight in her. Instead, she simply watched as tears began to fall from her eyes, leaving wet trails on her cheeks. She looked on as her shoulders shook with each sob and her nose began to run. She looked every bit as pathetic as she felt.

Her eyes wandered to the family portrait she kept framed on her dresser. Her mom and dad beamed back at her and she felt her heart swell. It’d been months since she’d seen either of them but she could hear her mother’s voice as clear as if she were in the same room. 

_No child of hers would lay down and die. Not like this. Her daughter was strong, she was worthy of happiness and love.This would not be her downfall._

She looked back at her reflection. She stared at her blotchy cheeks and red-rimmed eyes and snotty nose.

And she smiled.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily gets makes a boo-boo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Another chapter, fresh from the garbage!   
>  Just a mild warning there are some descriptions of violence and death in this bad boy so if that's not your thing just be aware. Again, huge thank you to everyone that's reading. You're stunning human beings and my heart is warm for you all!!!!!!

It didn’t take her too long to scavenge enough paper to write out her message. She used the backs of two photographs and some cardboard from pizza boxes but, looking down at the finished product, she thought it was sufficient enough.

After a few fumbles, she finally got her handcrafted SOS up in the window.

_Held hostage, need help, call 911._

It was brief but it’d do the job.

She took her post at the window and watched as the people below walked by, oblivious to herplight. A few times she’d banged furiously on the glass, hoping to catch an idle pedestrian’s attention. When she found that it had no effect, she’d collapsed back into her chair and resigned herself to simply watching helplessly.

As the night dragged on, she rotated between banging on her walls and pressing her face against the window, her vision becoming periodically fogged by her breath on the glass. She’d eventually slipped off into a fitful sleep when she heard a voice.

“Hey! Hello? Can anyone hear me?”

She didn’t stir at first, thinking herself still dreaming. Three loud knocks startled her fully awake and she quickly leapt from her chair and to the door.

“Hello?” She whispered, afraid that her voice would shatter the illusion.

“Hey! I saw your message on the window, are you ok?”

She recognized the voice as one of her neighbors across the hall. He’d always smiled at her and said hello and his wife had brought over a paper plate full of store-boughtcookies when Emily had first moved in. Hearing a familiar voice, or any voice, was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

“No, I mean, I’m ok, but I need help. Someone is holding me hostage in here.”

“What? Have you called anyone?”

“I can’t, he’s taken my phone. Can you please call 911?”

She heard him pause as he reached into his pocket, rifling through spare change before apparently finding his cell.“I’ve got my phone, I’ll call. Can you get out?”

“The door is locked somehow.The windows are stuck too,” she answered.

“Ok. Do you know your captor?”

She paused.Loki had told her the consequences of betraying his location. He’d killed before and he’d do it again. But surely with help so close she could forgo his warning, right?Maybe the police would arrive quicker if they knew who was responsible.They could call the Avengers and he could be captured. She’d be a hero.

A warrior.

“It’s Loki.”

“Loki?The dude from a few years ago? The asshole that wiped out half the city?”

“Yes! Yes, I know it sounds crazy but he’s back and he took me for some reason, can you please call someone?” She repeated, trying not to sound irritated at his slow response and continued questions.

“Shit, yeah, sorry,” he replied. 

She listened as he relayed her details to the 911 operator and felt her entire body sag against the door. The relief was palpable, she found herself shaking with the sudden release of adrenaline.The self-loathing that had been eating away at her melted like an ice cube in the fire. She’d fought back after all. She’d saved herself. Not only that, she’d saved the city. 

_Watch out, Spiderman, there’s a new hero in town._

A gentle stream of laughter floated from her lips and she cried again at the sweet sound.

“They’re on their way,” her neighbor said, “we’ll get you out of here. You said the door was locked?”

She sniffled and wiped her eyes on the hem of her shirt.“Yes, I don’t know how but it won’t open. The door handle won’t even turn.”

“Can you try it again? Maybe we can get it to open together.”

She went to turn the knob and frowned, realizing it was still immovable. “Nope, not budging.”

“Hold on, let me try on my end while you turn it. Ready? One, two, three.”

Simultaneously, they both turned the knob and to her surprise she found it twisting just a little in her hand. 

“It moved!” She shouted, glee bubbling up from her stomach.

“Ok, that’s good. Let’s try one more time. On the count of three. One, two-”

The door swung open and for a moment, she didn’t even realize what had happened.

“Three.”

Loki stood in the doorway, back in his usual black suit and wearing his best playful grin.

This was impossible. She’d heard her neighbor’s voice. If she thought hard enough she could swear she’d heard the faint echo of the 911 operator on the other line.

“What…” she trailed off, the weight in her stomach bringing her to her knees.

“Come now, aren’t you happy to see me? You’re not being a very good host, Emily. You should always greet your guests.”

He moved into her apartment and she watched as the outside world disappeared behind the door. Her hope for an escape slipping away as easily as a dandelion in the summer breeze.

A wave of emotions crashed over her as the hardwood floor bit into her knees.Anger, shame, fear, self-pity, hatred. How high she’d been only a few moments before, thinking herself a _hero._ She’d been anything but. She’d been a fool. An idiot. And to think that she’d fancied herself clever. 

“What the fuck do you want with me?” She spat, her fear being pushed to the back-burner as anger took over.

“How many times are you going to ask that question, darling? Your penchant for repetition is unbecoming.”

“Then maybe you could answer the fucking question.”

A flash of emotion spread across his face and she couldn’t tell if he was impressed or enraged.

“Fiery, aren’t you?” He mused, taking two steps closer to her. She looked up from the ground and raised her chin, defying him to come any closer. “I was very patient with you the first time you tried to call for help, was I not?”

She didn’t answer. He didn’t wait, either.

“And yet, imagine my displeasure to find that you disregarded the rules once again, and so soon after breaking them the first time. I have to say, Emily, I’m quite cross with you.You have to know, surely you must know, that I had to punish you this time, right?”

A sudden rush of heavy footsteps echoed from outside the hall and she quickly tore her gaze from him to stare at her door as if she could somehow see through it.

“Police, open up!”

Impossible, she thought. Her neighbor hadn’t ever really been there. It had been Loki the entire time. So how could the police be here?Maybe her shabby window sign? 

_Who cares if the goddamn Easter Bunny called! They’re here! You’re safe!_

She pushed herself from the floor and scrambled to the door, ignoring Loki and his lack of reaction.

“I’m in here! I can’t open the door!”

“We’re going to break the door down if you don’t open it in five seconds!”

“Break it down!” She shouted, tampering the resurgence of hope that was slowly crawling up from the pit in her stomach.

“One.”

She took a step back.

“Two. Three. Four. Five!”

The sound of wood splintering made her flinch but she quickly opened her eyes to see-

Nothing.

Her door was still in tact. Loki was still standing in the middle of the room, his eyes absolutely glowing with mischief.

Again, a sickening combination of foreboding and confusion came over her.

“Your neighbors are dead,” Loki deadpanned.“Necks snapped, painless really. I should have done much worse but I didn’t want to show all my tricks just yet.A good samaritan called in what appears to be a robbery gone wrong. The police will zip their bodies up in great big bags and send them off to the morgue, do their report, and add them to the growing list of unsolved murders in this vile and wretched city.”

It felt as if someone had taken a bat and swung right into her gut. The air had been knocked from her and try as she may she couldn’t seem to stop shaking.

“You killed them?” she whispered, knowing the answer.

“No, _you_ killed them,” he replied, the playfulness evaporating from his face as fury overtook his expression.“I warned you from the minute we met that all you needed to do in order to keep you and your loved ones safe was to keep your damn mouth shut. I was patient with you, I gave you another chance. And how am I rewarded? With _another_ betrayal,” his voice cracked almost painfully before he collected himself and continued. “Understand one thing, if nothing else can fit through your impossibly tiny brain, you will learn to obey me. The next time you try and ask for help will be your last. You’re mistaken if you think your life is worth anything to me.”

“You need me,” she said, her pain transforming into a seething pool of rage. 

He laughed and her anger only grew. She wanted to jump on him and close her hands around his neck. She longed to stare into his eyes as that impish, violent light drained and he gasped his final breath. She wanted to feel his nails clawing at her skin, trying to pull her off in desperation.

“I don’t need you anymore than I need to step in a pile of dog shit.”

“Then why keep me alive?”

He shrugged, his nonchalance spurring on her sadistic fantasies.“I find it’s fun to have something around to play with. Keeps the boredom at bay.”

“I don’t believe you,” she snarled, her fingers twitching and yearning to claw at his face.

“Believe what you want. Is it not good enough to simply be grateful that you _are_ alive?Would you rather I disposed of you?”

She didn’t answer.

“That’s what I thought.Now,” he began, as he took her seat by the window, “I believe I promised you we’d go over a few guidelines the next time we met. Very simple, really. I expressed my desire of a clean home which I see you have neglected to fulfill. I will also need meals prepared, armor polished, wounds cleaned, and anything else I should deem is necessary.”

“You want me to be your slave?”

“Nonsense, pet. I demand it.”

She tried to block out the sounds across the hall. If she thought about it too hard she’d simply fall apart and she was too fragile right now to let herself fully feel the emotions that were swirling violently in her head like a cyclone.

“I won’t touch you. I won’t do anything with you.”

He thew his head back and laughed. It seemed to go on for hours until he finally collected himself.

“What you lack in intelligence you make up for in humor, I assure you,” he said.“I’d sooner have relations with a splintered hole in your shabby little door.”

“Fuck you,” she said, her voice lacking the venom she’d intended. She hated how he could hurt her with his words as if he were someone worthy of holding such power over her.

“I like this little fire that’s ignited in you. It’s fun having someone complacent but I like a bit of excitement now and then. What else do you want to say to me?”

There was a million and a half things she wanted to say to him, each involving graphic descriptions of the pain she longed to inflict on him. She could tell that he enjoyed riling her up, though, and for that reason alone she bit her tongue. He would not get the satisfaction.

“Cat got your tongue again? You go quiet just when things are getting exciting. Shall I call you my little kitty cat, then?”

Again, she bit down hard enough to taste blood. She had a few names she’d like to call him.

“You’re just no fun,” he pouted, leaning back into the chair and crossing his long legs.“Make yourself useful and prepare dinner, at least.”

“How am I to do that with no access to a grocery store?”

“I have my ways,” he responded, waving her off towards the kitchen.

She stood for a moment, defying him just slightly, before heading towards the fridge.She wondered briefly if she could slip Drain-O into his meal. The thought of him seizing, foam around his mouth, eyes bulging as they realized what she’d done, was enough to keep her buoyant and compliant for now.

Opening the fridge, she was shocked to find an assortment of some of the finest foods she’d ever seen. Meats and cheeses were perfectly wrapped, fruit of every color was perched on its own shelf.Wine bottles with no labels lined her counter.It was as if her entire kitchen had been transformed into some 5-star European restaurant. She felt another wave of panic as she thought about what to cook. When she wasn’t ordering pizza she was heating up TV dinners and now she was expected to cook a meal fit for a God.

A loud noise from the hall brought her back to the reality of the situation. She tried not to picture her two neighbors dead on the floor, necks unnaturally bent, terror etched on their faces.

_No. Do not go there. Not yet. You need to worry about yourself right now._

So far all of her plans had failed. She’d seen first hand just what he was capable of now and she hesitated to even think about the possibility of constructing an escape plan. Whatever she came up with, it was going to have to wait. She could once again feel his gaze on her back and she tried not to stall for fear of him becoming suspicious.

“Having trouble, pet?” He called, his voice laced with annoyance.

She shut the fridge and turned to face him, trying to keep her face blank.“I’m just not sure what to cook,” she admitted.

He stared at her for a beat too long and she knew that he wasn’t fooled. She had the feeling that her thoughts were not as private as she’d like. She’d need to work on cloaking her emotions so as not to betray her intentions.

“I’m sure you can put something together.”

She tried to hold his gaze, anything to show that she wasn’t afraid of him. The hard truth, though, was that she was. Her anger, hurt, and irritation were all branches of a tree planted from primal fear. She constantly felt his hands, always around her neck, ready to crush her windpipe at any moment. Why he hadn’t decided to do so yet was beyond her but she wasn’t complaining. Not yet, anyway.

“We could order something instead,” she suggested hopefully.

“So you can slip a note to the delivery boy?I don’t think so.Besides, it was in your duty to cook a meal, not lazily dial one in.”

She bit her tongue to stop herself from snapping back at him and quickly spun back to the fridge. She recognized enough ingredients to whip up some half-assed pasta dish and decided it would have to do for now.

Half an hour later, she returned to the living room, steaming plate in hand for Loki. He studied it for a moment, his nose wrinkling in mild disgust before he grabbed his dinner and took a tentative bite. She felt nervous for reasons she wasn’t sure of as she watched his face for any sign that he was enjoying the dish.

“It’s not the worst thing I’ve put in my mouth,” he announced finally, delicately wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “But I’ll expect you to do better next time.”

“I don’t know how to cook.”

He set his plate down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and dipping his head so that he was level with her eyes. “Well then you better learn.”

The chill in his tone practically frosted the windows and she leaned back into her chair, eager to put as much distance between them as possible.

“How do you suggest going about that with no computer?”

He took another bite of his food before answering. “How did they learn before computers? Use your imagination.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Watch the sass,” he warned.

“I thought you liked it when your little playthings fought back.”

“I also like it when they can cook but it appears we’ll both be disappointed tonight,” he snapped, grabbing for his plate and redirecting his attention to the now lukewarm meal.

She heard her own stomach growl but didn’t dare to grab a serving for herself. She’d tasted her cooking before and she had no desire to do it again any time soon. She’d grab an apple or two later.

“You’ll want to set your bed up. This day has gone on far too long and I’ll be retiring soon.”

“My bed is already set up.”

He chuckled that hollow, mocking laugh that made her skin crawl.“You’ll be sleeping on the couch, of course.”

“The couch?” She questioned, her brain struggling to keep up with this new information.

“That is what I said, yes.”

“And you’ll be sleeping in my bed?”

This time it was him that rolled his eyes.“The power of deduction would suggest that.”

Whatever fight had been building up inside of her was starting to go out like a flame in the wind. For once she agreed with him in deciding to go to sleep early. There would be no resolutions tonight. 

“Fine, whatever.”

“Good girl,” he purred.“I’ll be out most of tomorrow so use that time to think of a new dinner. This one was disgusting.”

She watched as he disappeared behind her bedroom door and fought the urge to kick over a chair. His mood swings from mischievous to cruel were dizzying and she was having trouble keeping up.

Turning to the couch, she saw that there was a heavy afghan draped over the back and mismatched pillows that could be arranged to be somewhat comfortable. The plate of food she’d made him remained on the table and she found she didn’t have the strength or desire to get up and place it in the sink. Who cares if her place looked like a dump? What did it matter?

The sounds from across the hall had ceased and she tried to imagine something other than the vacant apartment where her neighbors had been cheerfully living a few hours ago.She’d win this one way or another. He’d pay for what he did, she was sure of it. But how to go about it?

She’d emptied her arsenal of tricks. It was clear that whenever she’d craft a clever plan he would already be ten steps ahead. No, she’d not get out of this by outsmarting him. He’d told her to obey him and so that’s what she’d do. He’d get what he asked for.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily decides that obeying Loki is her only option for the time being. She expects that this will suck (which is does) and that he will be an ass (which he is). What she doesn't expect is to find that he might not be the worst person in the world? Maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow hello hi everyone! It's me! Miss "I am gonna post like every week...maybe even twice a week!" Let me apologize by saying I went on vacation and then when I came back the world kind of became a hot mess. Like...hotter than usual?   
> I hope you're all doing ok given the circumstances! Life is nuts right now and I understand that there is a ton of anxiety and stress going on. I hope this story can provide some kind of escape for you and if you ever need to reach out to vent about things or even to just talk about writing or how lovely Loki is, please reach out!! I'm always open to talk and I genuinely hope you're all well and safe! Thank you again for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy!!!!

She woke the next morning with a stiff neck and a wayward spring in her back but alive. That had to be good enough for now. Sitting up, she rubbed her sore muscles and took inventory of her surroundings. The plate of food was still resting on the table, untouched and forgotten and beginning to smell. Her pathetic attempt to break herself out of her own apartment was still evidenced by the lamely hung cardboard sign in the window. A small flicker of hope still burned in her chest, refusing to extinguish under Loki’s continuous saboteur ways.

Apprehension seemed to weigh on her like sandbags, keeping her tethered to her spot on the couch. She glanced at her bedroom door but hesitated to get up. She hadn’t heard him leave but she could hardly consider herself an expert on how he came and went. She was certain this entire apartment had been bewitched and ensnared in his ancient magic. He could apparate like Harry Potter for all she knew.

She allowed herself a few more moments of solidarity in which she refused to think on her predicament. Each worry and frustrated thought zapped out of her fingertips as she worked her anger into her muscles.

An errant car horn from the street startled her out of her reverie. She quickly turned her gaze back to the bedroom door and waited with bated breath to see if it would open.Seconds passed with no change, no sound other than the air passing through her lips and the controlled chaos on the streets below.

“Fuck it,” she whispered, pushing herself off the couch and wincing as muscles came alive. She approached the door as if it were a wild animal, slow and cautious as though not to alert whatever was on the other side to her arrival. She hesitated only for a moment before placing her ear against the door and listening for any signs of movement.When she heard nothing, she carefully wrapped her hand around the knob, relishing in the feel of the cool metal against her sweaty palm.With a steadying breath, she quickly opened the door and surveyed her room.

Nothing.

He was gone.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she quickly looked around the room to ensure nothing was awry.The clothes in her closet were still haphazardly hung on mismatched hangars, her bed was made, her photos were still upright and framed. Her stuffed cat was tossed lazily in the corner of the room, the only sign that he’d been in here at all.She quickly shuffled over to the toy and picked it up, cradling it to her chest before replacing it at the top of her bed.

“Sorry, Muffins,” she said, rubbing a hand over its head once more before leaving it to rest on its rightful spot as king of the bed.

She made her way back out into the living room and began to furiously clean. He’d demanded a clean living area and that’s what he’d get. She’d accepted that placating him seemed to be the only option left undiscovered.As much as it made her stomach turn to obey him, she knew that this was her only hope for now. The promise of vengeance and self-preservation were the only voices urging her on. 

Garbage bags piled up near the door, old shirts were sacrificed to wipe down dust from the corners of her apartment that hadn’t been cleaned in months. By late afternoon her apartment was absolutely spotless.

Her next order of business was in the kitchen where she quickly began to whip up a fish dish that she’d made a few times for her family in college. She methodically chopped up the vegetables, dutifully seasoned the fish, and uncorked a wine bottle that was half gone before she even put the fish in the oven.

“My, my, kitten, you’ve been busy.”

She jumped, nearly dropping the wine on the floor as she spun around to face the owner of the voice.

“I’m impressed,” Loki said, ignoring her startled expression.“Dinner smells infinitely better than the concoction you created last night.”

She moved the bottle behind her, noticing too late how his eyes darted down and clouded with disapproval.“Drinking on the job,” he chided, “not very professional. I’ll have to deduct points for that.”

She bit back the response that was dripping in sarcasm and attitude and tried to smooth her face.“Just sampling the wine.Do they sell this in stores?”

“Not on this loathsome planet.”

“Well, good thing you’re here then, right?If only for the wine,” she chuckled and winced at how manufactured it sounded. Her tone reminded her of a misbehaving child trying desperately to appeal to their parent’s benevolence. 

“What are you playing at?”

“What do you mean?”

He closed the gap between them in two strides, backing her against the counter and effectively eliminating whatever personal space she’d had.She could practically feel the heat coming from the fire in his eyes.His breath was quick and hot against her face. 

“Whatever game you’re playing, whatever dim-witted plan you’re brewing, you _will_ not deceive me. If you step out of line one more time I will break your spine with my bare hands and let your body crumble to the floor next to the trash where you belong, do you understand me?”

She felt a flood of terror, visceral and chilling.The wine that had been pleasantly warming her insides was now threatening to spill out of her mouth in waves of vomit.His previous warnings hadn’t hit her like this and for the first time she truly felt the weight of the danger she was in every second in his presence. The feel of the counter as it bit into her lower back reminded her to answer and she quickly nodded her head.

“ _Answer me.”_

“Yes,” she breathed, deflating as he took a step back. She took a moment to refill her lungs before explaining herself.“You requested that I obey you and so that’s what I’m doing. There are no ulterior motives.”

The murderous downturn of his face was replaced by a cross between pleasure and approval.“You’re telling the truth,” he replied, taking another step back and releasing more of her space.

“I am.”

“You’ll find, in time, that your compliance will benefit you far more than these foolish escape plans.”

“I’ll kill you eventually,” she said before she could stop herself.“I’ll be out of here someday, you know.But, for now, I’ll do what I need to in order to survive.”

His eyes flashed with ire before drowning in mirth.“I admire your fight, kitten.It will be your downfall but I’m finding I enjoy your little outbursts more and more. After all, what fun is it to play with your food if the food is already dead and lifeless?”

He smiled at her in all his sadistic glory before finally leaving the kitchen and disappearing behind the bedroom door. 

Her hand was still gripped tightly around the bottle of wine and she quickly finished it off without second thought. She began to focus on her breathing which had rapidly turned shallow and rattled as her adrenaline caught up with her mind.The ear-splitting wail of the smoke alarm broke her from her thoughts and she reached for something to wave the smoke away while she turned the oven off.

“Fish is done,” she whispered, wincing as her arm brushed the corner of the searing pan. 

“Have you burnt the dinner then?”

She yelped as she spun around to face Loki who had miraculously emerged from the bedroom without making a sound. 

He lifted his brows in clear anticipation of her answer. 

“No,” she began, turning her gaze to the fish that had clearly seen better days, “it’s just well-done.”

She ignored his eye roll and began to assemble the dish on two plates.Her brilliant idea to simply cater to him and get on his good side was turning out to be a spectacular failure, much like the fish. 

They ate mostly in silence in the living room.To her surprise and delight, the dinner had actually turned out alright. Even Loki had begrudgingly accepted that it tasted better than it looked. A point for the win column she was mentally keeping track of.

She cleared their plates and returned to her seat on the couch, awkwardly thumbing a hole in her sleeve while she waited for guidance on what to do next. It was an alien feeling to feel so out of place in her home.

“Things are going to be changing soon,” Loki said, breaking the oppressive silence that had been closing in on them. 

When he did not elaborate she prompted him to continue. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

That impish grin was stretched on his lips again. His pleasure in keeping her in the dark was unrivaled and she fought the temptation to shoot off a snarky reply.

“Should I be worried?”

“I’m a man of my word, kitten. I told you that as long as you obey me no harm shall come to you.”

“I don’t recall that exact phrasing,” she challenged, trying to keep her tone light enough to be perceived as teasing should he become angry.

He didn’t seem to hear her and if he did he gave no indication that he cared about what she said. Instead, he simply leaned further back into his seat, his emerald eyes staring off as they looked in on the daydream that was playing in his mind. If he wasn’t a murderous psychopath he might have been handsome, endearing. The way his raven hair fell in messy waves to his shoulder, a stark contrast to his flawlessly pale skin. Even his smile which she knew was sprouted from devious intentions was infectious and she found herself dumbly grinning at him. She’d been locked away from the world for a few days and already she was beginning to lose it.

“Someone is going to come looking for me, you know that, right?”

This seemed to jolt him from his trance and he turned his eyes on her.“What?”

She went to repeat herself when he waved her off.“No one will care that you’re gone.”

The sudden drop of her stomach brought tears to her eyes. His ability to wound her was peculiar but potent. “That’s not what I meant. If I don’t show up for work they will send someone over.”

“I’ve handled it.”

Again she felt her insides twist in the most grotesque way. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward in his chair.“Your first mistake was believing any of the words spoken by a silver-tongued God.” She opened her mouth but he continued.“Your second mistake was believing me so cold, callous, and foolish that I would simply resort to murder to achieve my means.I am capable of much more, I assure you.”He gave a final huff that seemed almost wounded. As if she’d somehow hurt him by assuming the worst.

Her first thought had been to reinforce whatever phantom sorrow he had absorbed throughout their conversation.

_Good. Let him hurt. Let him feel it for once._

She let her eyes drift to the empty plates on the table and remembered her revelation that placating him was her only hope for now. Her desire to cut him down would need to take a back seat to give way the instinct to survive. He’d get what he deserved and if she played her cards right she’d be the one to serve it to him.

“I didn’t mean that,” she began, “I just-well, you don’t have a great track record. You did kill my neighbors like, less than a day ago, so I guess I’m a little defensive.”It was difficult to swallow the urge to continue on and fluff him up in an effort to lower his guard.She remembered the way that he looked at her in the kitchen when she’d admitted that she was trying her best to obey him and how he’d called her on her truth telling as if he’d dipped into her mind to confirm it.

He stared back at her.If the eyes are truly the window to the soul then he must have his curtains drawn because he was giving away nothing. He was still like a marble statue, the only sign of life being the slow rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. She felt her body slowly relax to match his breathing and for the first time in days she felt almost relaxed.It was like floating in a swimming pool on a hot August afternoon. This brief respite found in the middle of her worst nightmare was bizarre and perplexing but welcome all the same.

“Your work is taken care of, no one was harmed,” he said, breaking the tranquility that had settled over them. 

“What’s going to happen?”

Again, he simply stared at her as if contemplating her question. After a lengthy pause he finally turned his eyes away and answered.“You’ll see, in time.Take comfort in knowing you’re infinitely safer in here as opposed to roaming the streets. In fact, I would wager you’ll be thanking me when all is said and done.”

His arrogance had returned but Emily saw it for what it was: a coping mechanism. His momentary lapse in character had let her see that he was capable of feeling things other than disdain and unwavering ambition.She still hated him, loathed him for what he had done to her and to those around her. Her vow to seek vengeance against him was still firm and true but knowing he wasn’t some robotic psycho overlord had given her some comfort. 

“Well, I guess we’ll see.” He looked up at her again and she stared back. She grasped for something to steer the seriousness of the subject at hand into more neutral waters. “For now, though, can you please have the decency not to throw Muffins on the floor? He’s very important to me.”

“Muffins?” He repeated, his brows knitted in confusion. Her mouth twitched as she tried not to laugh hearing her beloved stuffed animal’s name on his lips.

“The cat on the bed. I’ve had him since I was a little girl and he deserves some respect.”

“That hideous toy has a name?”

She felt her mouth pop open in shock. “ _Hideous?_ He’s precious!”

“He’s dirty and ancient.”

“He’s timeless!”

He rolled his eyes.“Ridiculous, you’re all ridiculous.”

“Who?”

“Humans! So sentimental over a poorly made child’s toy. It’s amazing you’ve lasted as long as you have. You’re all so helpless and strange.”

She felt oddly defensive over her species even if he did make a valid point. The human race was kind of a hot mess from time to time.“And what about you?”

He sat up, focusing his eyes on her as he geared up for another argument.“What about us?”

“You come from some random planet-”

“-Asgard.”

“-where everyone lives for like, two hundred years-”

“-a couple thousand, actually.”

“-and practices magic like Harry Potter-”

“-who?”

“-and you think _we’re_ the weird ones?”

There was a silence that fell over them after she finished and she quickly started to panic, fearing she had spoken too freely too soon. His laughter was a welcome sign that her words hadn’t been perceived as malicious.Had they reached some kind of breakthrough?

“Point well made, kitten. Let’s agree to disagree for now though.Perhaps we’ll see who the superior beings all when this is all said and done.”

“Your ominous hints are getting old.”

“So are these dirty dishes. I require a clean home, remember?”

She took a breath and again resisted the urge to snap back at him.“Yes, sir,” she answered, standing to gather their dishes off the table.

“Sir? Hmm, I could get used to that,” he purred.

“Well, don’t.”

He flashed a playful grin at her that almost made her forget that she was a prisoner, not some gal pal of his to shoot the shit with. She took their plates into the kitchen and began to scrub them, all the while thinking on the strange turn of events that the evening had presented.

Whatever he was planning couldn’t be good, that was for certain. She had no clue what he was referring to or when this mysterious plan would fall into action but she did agree that perhaps she was safer holed up in her apartment.Flashes of the attack on New York went off in her mind and she suddenly felt very grateful for the shelter her shitty one bedroom provided. Sure, she was locked inside with the mastermind of this undiscovered sadistic attack that was bound to happen but she was trying to find the positives.

“I’ll be out for the rest of the night,” Loki’s voice drifted in from the living room.“I’ll be wanting breakfast.”

“And I’ll be wanting to put my foot up your ass,” she muttered as she scrubbed a stubborn spot on her dinner plate.

“Come again?”

She paused, suddenly feeling his breath tickling the back of her neck.“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl.” She could hear him smile and felt her body stiffen.When she turned around he was gone.

“Fucking space wizard.”

She finished the dishes and wiped down the kitchen and living room in record time. Her hairline was damp with sweat and she ached for a long, hot shower. She was so focused on her bathroom that called to her like a siren’s song that she almost didn’t notice Muffins perched on top of the couch.

Strange turn of events, indeed.


End file.
